Friday
30Jan2009
Movie Review - 'Taken'
Friday, January 30, 2009 at 12:01AM | Taken
Starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen  |
Pierre Morel’s Taken has already been released just about everywhere else in the world, and while it’s a strange strategy to open a star-driven action flick in Europe first and then import it to the United States, it has certainly paid off in this case. Worldwide earnings are already about $70 million.
It’s easy to see why the film has so much appeal, and why it should do very good business in the U.S. for a few weeks. Taken is a great janitorial movie: There’s a big mess and Liam Neeson has to clean it up. This shouldn’t be mistaken for a classic or a masterpiece, but what it sets out to do it does very, very well, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun watching Neeson beat the stuffing out of nameless, faceless henchmen.
The script, co-written by Luc Besson (The Professional, The Fifth Element), is mostly no-nonsense and keeps its eye on the ball. Neeson plays recently retired government agent Bryan Mills. We don’t know what he did exactly, but we learn enough to know he’s not a man to be trifled with, and we know he gave it all up to spend time with his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace from Lost).
She travels to Paris, and while she’s on the phone with her very protective father, her friend gets abducted. She’s next. One of the attackers picks up her cell phone and Mills threatens him sternly: “If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
Fearing the worst – human trafficking is a European plague that is responsible for thousands of disappearances each year – Mills springs into action. Morel finds terrific ways to keep the action fresh for over an hour, and while there needs to be a little back story and a denouement, the beginning and end of Taken are clearly not as inspired as the film’s breathtaking second act. It’s as if they’re written for a different film, so if you’re looking for things to criticize, that’s where to start. Fortunately, it’s also where you’d finish.
Colin Boyd | Permalink | in Liam Neeson, Reviews, Taken | Print Article | Email Article | 52 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (52)
Excellent...your review makes me want to see it even more. I've had pretty big hopes about this one.
I agree with your reiview other than the ending. I thought it was great closure to the story and an absolute suprise. You have to admit, you forgot about the portion of the movie that led up to it!
your review is so close to the real movie your review made me more intrested in watching the movie even more..
Yeah i was a little pissed about it but the movie was good enough to make me like it. But then again, you're right it's not a masterpiece or a classic or a anything, just a movie well-made.
I really liked it!!!!
I just saw Taken. As grandmother of a 17 yr old female, I'll insist she see it. Perfect timing---to be released before Spring Break and the celebrations that go along with graduation from high school or college. Liam Neeson was most believable as the impassioned father endowed with the skills of an assassin. I felt his anger and pain and applauded instead of flinching when he eliminated each of the GDSOB's engaged in their monstrous "business". Neeson is intimidating by reason of his stature and carried it off extremely well. We were left to surmise whether the daughter and mother would really "get it", but those who see the movie will "get" the message . Now, when will some studio have the good sense to initiate a "007-type" series based on Barry Eisler's Japanese-American protagonist John Rain. Second to LeCarre, Eisler is the most erudite writer to present intrigue, exotic settings, and, as LeCarre, has a connection to the world he writes about.
This is one of the best movie I've ever seen.
Just saw the movie this weekend and loved it! Liam Neeson is easy on the eyes and the nonstop action was superb! We need a sequel!
I enjoy Liam and really liked this film. Very entertaining but a cautionary tale to anyone traveling abroad.
Question Mr Boyd,
I guess I am the only one in the universe to have this happen to me but maybe you can explain it to me. I saw this movie last summer at the Glendale 9 Drive Inn. I have asked around and no once can explain it but there it is. Summer of 2008, I Timmy Two Moons saw this very movie. Thats why I was shocked when it came out this year. I thought it was an ok movie but I didn't think it was bad enough that the studio would re release it to try and get a better result. Can you offer an explanation as to why it was showing at the Glendale 9 Drive Inn and no where else in the western hemisphere?
Thanks.
Love you on the Morning Sickness BTW.
I'm not a fan of action films mainly because they are so unrealistic. I must say that Taken was no surprise. I like movies that make you think. This movie made me wonder how is it a 50 + year old man can beat up multible men all at the same time and never seem to get tired? Even more amazing is he is capable is being shot at by multible men some with automatic weapon fire all at the same time and yet he never gets hit? Now depsite multible gun men shooting at him all at the same time he somehow has the ability to shoot and kill his attackers?
Please, this movie was a joke. The only thing missing was a cape, perhaps if it was an cartoon action here at least I could say it's make believe. How does a writter possibly think there was anything realistic about this film other then the basic story line?
This guy was driving a car in Paris France at high rates of speed going against traffic, never hits a single car, leaps from a bridge and lands on a moving ship never breaks a leg and still can maintainthe the ability to fight and kill multible men with hardly a scratch.
Was this Superman????
I you like fake actions fils this is for you. If you like a drama with some action don't waste your time, nothing about this film was original or real.
I just didn't like this movie. It had some good action, but the story line was very generic. Plus what JCS said it was really fake. The ending didn't surprise me at all and it was anti-climactic to be honest. Overall, not so good.
this is one of the best movie ive ever seen.. congratulation also to the writer you did a good story in it.. ilove it. even if i watched it again and again. Ah! bravo. To all father and daugther pls. watched this movie. Awesome , wonderful
Tim in Mesa -
My only guess is that there was no American distributor lined up yet and the Drive-In bought it from an international source. Fox wouldn't have let it out at that point.
in response to JCS yeah i hate it when movies aren't realistic ... i mean they hardly ever go to the toilet in movies and when they eat we never see them eating the whole meal, what's with that, why don't the characters sleep for eight hours? sure not compelling viewing but very real. Oh and yeah why didn't Liam Neeson get in a car crash in paris? i was dead keen on a scene with insurance forms and police reports.... oh the reality!
I loved this movie. Great movie to see before going on a Spring Break
This movie is a disgrace. What a message! France is corrupt lawless country, girls who loose their virginity and are attracted to boys die, girls who stay virgins get rescued by their fathers and given a second chance at becoming a big singing star in the USA where they should have stayed in the first place instead of wanting to travel to Europe where they will be led astray by pretty french boys. Disgusting. (Nicely made with good actions scenes to be fair)
JustSawIt, they were Albanians, not French. The French were just the corrupt police who helped sell the girls. Plus, the self-control exhibited by people who remain virgins in today's society must point to a better-than-average chance of accomplishing anything (like being a singing star), although I don't see how it could affect survival as a hostage, or rescue by an ex-CIA father. And the movie doesn't say to stay in the USA. It says, "Don't let your 17 year old go to France (or anywhere else) without adult supervision." See, a much better movie than you though it was. ;->
Are you kidding me with this? Human trafficking isn't about having fun and just having sex. It's about girls who are TAKEN against their will, drugged, and raped repeatedly for money that they never see. Don't be stupid about this...its a real problem. True people cant usually go rescue them...thats why the writers of this movie called it fiction. Seriously...before you post...research.
What a "BOLD" comment from justsawit! You know what... i think you didn't understand the movie at all! Why don't you give yourself another chance to watch it again and please understand what the movie is all about and trying to teach YOU.... hmmppp... kinda "narrow-minded" huh? =) **peace**
Well, anyway... I agree to all who commented that it was a GREAT movie and to the article above. It's not just about the action or the lawless, or human trafficking thing... what made me appreciate the story is how the father did everything for her daughter... it's not a common scenario... it will never be "common"... not everyone was given a chance to have a "Bryan Mills-like" father... but I'm so lucky enough 'coz i belong to those who was given a wonderful privilege... to have a loving, a bestfriend, and "will-do-everything-for-his-family" father.
THANKS PAPA... I MISSED YOU MORE after I've watched this movie. I'm excited to watch this again with you seating beside me, and with mama and my brother, too.
Two thumbs up for this! AWESOME!
This is without a doubt one of the best movies I have ever seen. I have seen it twice and I know that I will see it again in the future. Very well done, I must admit I got emotionally involved while watching but I also learned a valuable lesson, when travelling abroad be very cautious!
This was very entertaining. I was cheering him on the entire time. Worth watching.
Loved it. Love Liam... and thank goodness movies aren't ALL about realism 100% of the time. It's called escapism and it is why we pay money to see it. If it entertains me I don't ask questions or pick at it like a megalomaniac who thinks everything has to be intellectually debated- blah blah blah. I was confued when I read the reviews- they gave it low scores, but all seemed they were entertained. Man hollywood is filled with whiny brats. Just shut up and watch it or don't.. I am so sick of pretentious critics who think they see something in Andy Warhol soup cans that the rest of us idiots can't grasp.
This movie kept me watching and it flew by. Kudos to Liam again for kicking butt- bout' time!
The Character was a CIA operative for years and worked with the 3 other CIA guys we met early in the movie (security detail). One gave LN info on the Albanians. If they were so close why did they never come to the aid of their friend?
This review is right on. It's a simple movie, but it was completely entertaining. That's the point isn't it.
But, I'd like to know where the "Good" French Police were. There were a lot of truly unbelievable parts of the movie, but I tried to ignore them and enjoy.